History of Life

Catalog description

(PN) How does understanding Earth's past help navigate today's ecological crises? Investigate the 4-billion-year interaction between shifting Earth systems and the biological evolution of life, from explosive diversifications to mass extinctions. By analyzing ancient ecological events as deep-time analogs, students apply themes of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation to understand our modern biodiversity crisis. Includes one weekly 2-hour lab examining specimens from the Fryxell Geology Museum Collections. Prerequisites: None, although a GEOL gateway course is recommended.